Remote indicating system



July 24 1934 A l A. J. JOHNSTON 1,967,887

REMOTE INDICTING SYSTEM Filed April 24. 1951 oeoo ocio nooo ooo nooo neo ccoo ooo ooan cool 0900 olio First l ,.l Inveto'rr Arthur aanmeten',

HIS. Atto'rhey.

Patented July 24,- 1934 cuirs STATES tetten REMOTE moralismo srsrraiu Arthur J. Johnston, Aldan, Pa., assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 241, 193i, Serial No. 532,669

3 lmlm' My invention relates to remote indicating systems and particularly to systems for indicating various quantities or characters at a remote point by means of electric lamps. My invention lis especially adapted for use in electric score boards in which various numerals representing players, innings, downs, scores, results, etc., may be quickly and readily controlled from a remote point in accordance with the necessary requirements.

One object oi 'my invention is to provide an improved remote indicating system of this charactor. y

My invention Will loe 'better understood :from the following description when taken in connec:l

'l tion with the accompanying drawing and its scope will he pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

l illustrates diagrammatically an electric indi-E cating system embodying my invention whereby till a group ofi lamps may loe selectively lighted to form any digit. 7Eig. 2 indicates how the various digits are formed by the lighted lamps and illustrates an indicating hoard embodying invention, whereby the results ci an athletic event, such as a race, may he indicated Referring to Fig. l, l represents a group or bank oi twenty-four lamps, r-l to L-Zl inclu-s sive, arranged in four vertical rows oi' six lamps each. ln accordance with the embodiment or" my invention shown in Fig. l, the lamps are ar-u ranged to be 'selectively lighted to form any digit but it is obvious that my invention is not limited in its broadest aspects to an arrangement for indicating any particular group oi characters. in order to control the lamps L-l to L-Z inclusive in accordance with the digits to be formed thereby, ten-keys K-O to K-9 inclusive are provided which selectively control the connection of four relays A, B, C, and D, to a suitable supply circuit 2. The four relays A, B, C, and D in turn control the connections of the twenty-four lamps L--l to L-Zd to a supply circuit 3 so as to light the proper lamps to form the desired digit.

As shown in the drawing, the keys K0 to K-B respectively control the circuits of the lamps L-l to L-24 inclusive so as to form the digits o to 9. For example, when the key K-G is opacross the supply circuit 2 so that the circuits of lthe necessary lamps to form the digit 1 are com- (lll. itil-353) .pleted across the supply circuit 3. Similarly,

when the keys K-2 to K--Q inclusive are respectively operated, the proper combination of relays is energized to eiTect thelighting of the proper lamps to form the corresponding digit.

ln order to simplify the description, the following tables have been prepared which list the various lamps which are lighted to form the various digits and the Vcontacts through which the circuits of the lighted lamps are completed across the supply circuit 3 when the keys K-ll to .L-9 are operated. c

When ley lie-ll is operated, relays C and D are energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit the manner shown in. Fig. 2

Lamp

l' ci completed tln'ough da L3 cil l it completed through l2 circuit completed through lill, elle and dll circuit completed ough cl 9' circuit completed through el and dl Ll2 circuit completed through die and old.

L13 circuit completed through h3 and dl Lit circuit completed through d5 Ll? circuit completed through h5 and L20 circuit. completed through di and d5 L22 circuit completed through dli and dll L23 circuit completed through dll When key lil-l is operated, relay A 'is energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit l in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L3 circuit completed through all A L7 circuit completed through a3, c5 and d2 Lll circuit completed through (113 and all L15 circuit completed through a3, c5 and d2 A L19 circuit completed through a3, c5 and d2 L23 circuit completed through c1() and a9 When key li-2 is operated, relay C is energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit 2 in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L2 circuit completed through ce L3 circuit completed through cll L5 circuit completed through bll, a8, e9 and alo L8 circuit completed through c7 L11 circuit completed through :113 and cll y L14 circuit completed through d6, cl3 and D15 L17 circuit completed through d8 and c6 L21 circuit completed through b'l, d6, cl3 and L22 circuit completed through a8, o9. and alc L23 circuit completed through e9 and d10 L24 circuit completed throughal, d6, cl3 and i When key K-4 is operated, relays A and E are energized and the following lamps are lighted y to form the digit 4 in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L3 circuit completed through all L6 circuit completed through b2, b9 and o7 L7 circuit completed through a3, c5 arid d2. L9 circuit completed through elfi, blt and d4 L11 circuit completed through Z13 and all L13 circuit completed through b9 and c7 L14 circuit completed through a12 and b1@ L15 circuit completed through c3, c5 and d2 L16 circuit completed through t8 L19 circuit completed through a3, c5 and d2 L23 circuit completed through bld When key K-'5 is operated, relay B is energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L1 circuit completed through b1, d8, lill and ad L2 circuit completed through hda-nd a6 L3 circuit completed through i712 L4 circuit completed through 121,118, be and de L5 circuit completed through o8, alt and ble L9 circuit completed tlrrough cl, i113 and del L10 circuit completed through c3, a2 and b3 L11 circuit completed through dlt and hl2 L16 circuit completed through U8 I L17 circuit completed through d8, b4 and ad `L20 circuit completed through a2 and t8 L22 circuit completed through a8 and 1711i L23 circuit completed through bili When key K-G is operated, relays A and D are energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit 6 in the manner shown in. Fig. 2,:

Lamp lighted L-2 circuit completed through d-9 L-3 circuit completed through rit-l2 L--5 circuit completed through e8, e115 and dllv L-9 circuit completed through a5 and dl L-10 circuit completed through c3, d'1 andd L-11 circuit completed through cl2 and d12 L-13 circuit completed through b3 and d1 L-16 circuit completed through d5 L-17 circuit completed through b5 and-d3 L-20 circuit completed through d'1 and d5 I -22 circuit completed through d15 and dll L--23 circuit completedthrough dll When key K-7 is operated, relays A and C- unit and the controlling point.

are energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit 7 in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L1 circuit completed through c2, a1, b5 and c6 L2 circuit completed through c4 L3 circuit completed through c11 L4 circuit completed through c2, a1, b5 and c6 L8 circuit completed through c7 L11 circuit completed through d13 and c11 L14 circuit completed through cl2 and c15 L17 circuit completed through b5 and c6 L21 circuit completed through b7, cl2 and cl When key K-t is operated, relay D is energized and the following lamps'are lighted to form the digit 8 inthe manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L2 circuit completed through d9 L3 circuit completed through d12 L5 circuit completed through c8, d15 and dll L8 circuit completed through d10 and a6 L10 circuit completed through c3, d7 and d5 L11 circuit completed through cl2 and i12 L13 circuit completed through b3 and dl L16 circuit completed through d5 L17 circuit completed through b5 and d3 y L20 circuit completed through d7 and d5 L22 circuit completed through e115 and dll L23 circuit completed through dll When key K--Q is operated, relays B and D are energized and the following lamps are lighted to form the digit 9 in the manner shown in Fig. 2:

Lamp lighted L2 circuit completed through d9 L3 circuit completed through 1112 L5 circuit completed through e8, d15, d11 L8 circuit completed through d10 and a6 L10 circuit completed through c3, d7 and d5 L11 circuit completed through cl2 and d12 L12 circuit completed through dllirand blo L16 circuit completed through d5 L20 circuit completed through :i7 and d5 L22 circuit completed through d15 and dll L23 circuit completed through dll The score hoard, shown in Fig. 3 is designed to indicate the numbers of the contestants finishing first, second and third respectively in an athletic event. In order that a number containingtwo digits may be shown, two lamp units 1 are mounted adjacent to each other in the scorre board at the places where it is desired to show the numbers. Each lamp unit is controlled by its own control unit similar to that one shown in Fig.

-l so that if it is desired to show the number 12 came in second, key K-l associated with the middle left-hand lamp unit and key K--2 associated with the middle right-hand lamp unit are operated. Obviously, however, if it is so desired the same result may be obtained by means of a single key (not shown) which, when operated, com.

pletes the same circuits as are completed by the operation of the two keys K-l and K-2 respectively associatedwith the two middle lamp units.

ing two digit numbers, obviously my invention While I have shown a score board for indicat.

is applicable to systems for indicating numbers i having more or less than two digits.

1t will be seen that my improved remote control-system embodies a minimum amount of apparatus. Since only four relays are required, only nve conductors are required between the lamp Also since a maximum oi two relays of a unit are energized at f ent combinations of less than three at a time,

any time, only two-circuit control keys are required for each unit. Furthermore I have arranged the circuits of the lamps in each unit so that not more than three lamps can be simultanously energized through any set of relay contac While I have in accordance with the patent statutes shown and described my invention as applied to a particular system and as embodying various devices diagrammatically indicated, changes and modiiications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ci my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

i. In a remote indicating system, a group oi electric lamps arranged so that any digit can be formed by lighting the proper lamps in the group, a supply circuit, and means for selectively controlling the connections of the lamps to said supply circuit to cause the lamps to be lighted inthe proper combinations to form any digit including four relays, each relay having a plurality ot iront and back contacts, direct connections between said contacts and lamps for completing the circuits oi the proper lamps in said group tov form said digits when said relays are energized in diiler an means for controlling the energization of said relays in accordance with the digit to be formed by said lamps.

2. In a remote indicating system, a group o! electric lamps arranged so that any digit can be formed by lighting the proper lamps in the-group.

a supply circuit, and means for selectively controlling the connections or the lamps to said supply circuit to cause the lamps to be lighted in the proper combinations to form any digit consisting of four relays each relay having a plurality oi front and back contacts, direct connections between said contacts and lamps for ycompleting the circuits o! the proper lamps in said group `to form said digits when said relays are energized in dinerent combinations oi less than three at a time and so that three lamps are the maximum number connected in series with any relay contact under any normal operating conditions, and means for controlling the enerygisation of said relays in accordance with. the

digits to be formed by said lamps.

3. In a remote indicating system. twenty-iour electric lamps arranged in four rows of six lamps each, a supply circuit, and means for selectively controlling the connections of the lamps to said supply circuit to cause the lamps to be lighted in the proper combinations to form any one oi' the ten digits consisting oi four relays each relay having a plurality of front and back contacts, direct connections between said contacts and lamps for the circuits or the proper lamps in completing said group to form said digits when said relays are energized in difierent combinations of less y than three at a time and so that three lamps are the maximum number connected in series with any relay contact under any normal operating condition,l and means forl controlling the energization of said relays in accordance with the digits to be formed by said lamps.

ARTHUR J. JOHNSTON. 

